Hiromi Ono MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Satoshi Goshima MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yukino Goto MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Nobuyuki Kawai MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yukichi Tanahashi MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yoshifumi Noda MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hiroshi Kondo MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Masayuki Kanematsu MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To determine the diagnostic performance of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) of the breast lesions for the detection of malignant breast tumors.

 IRB approval and written informed consent was obtained. During a 10-months period, we prospectively evaluated 51 patients (mean age, 52.0 years; range, 13-86 years) with 58 breast lesions including 21 benign lesions and 37 malignant tumors. DKI was performed with a single-shot echo-plannar sequence with multiple b values (0, 100, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 sec/mm2). We computed the mean kurtosis (MK) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) (10-3 mm2/s) over regions of interest encompassing the entire tumor using diffusion kurtosis model programed by MATLAB software (Mathworks, Natick, Mass). The diagnostic performance of MK and ADC value for the detection of malignant breast tumors were compared.

MR image acquisition and analysis were successful in all our study patients. MK was significantly higher in malignant tumors (1.13 ± 0.28) than in benign lesions (0.74 ± 0.22) (P < 0.001). Mean ADC value was significantly lower in malignant tumors (1.17 ± 0.35) than in benign lesions (1.72 ± 0.41) (P < 0.001). For the detection of malignant tumors, there was no significant difference in AUC between MK and ADC value, whereas ADC value (71.4%) had a greater sensitivity than MK (62.2%) (P = 0.007) and MK (100%) had a greater specificity than ADC value (86.5%) (P = 0.04).

DKI was feasible in breast MRI. Our study findings suggest that a combination of MK and ADC may provide the additional value for the detection of malignant breast tumors.

When MRI is performed to evaluate the breast lesions, diffusion kurtosis imaging may improve the diagnostic confidence of lesion characterization in addition to conventional diffusion imaging analysis in breast MR imaging.

Ono, H, Goshima, S, Goto, Y, Kawai, N, Tanahashi, Y, Noda, Y, Kondo, H, Kanematsu, M, Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging for Breast Lesions: Preliminary Results.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14009805.html